NEWS

Jesus summed up God’s laws by commanding Christians to love God and love their neighbor.
Jesus had much to say about how to treat others, especially the poor — whom the Bible calls
“the least of these.” Allegedly, Republicans are God’s Only Party, and President Donald Trump is
Christian in Chief.

Evangelical Christians hold numerous cabinet-level positions, and others hold lesser positions in
the Trump Administration. Yet, a cursory review of President Trump’s first month in office
reveals a Republican administration disconnected from the teachings of Christ in the gospels.

Sadly, many Evangelicals think they will one day be judged based on having the right beliefs;
that what’s important to God is certain doctrines and social beliefs. However, the gospels reveal
that God will judge everyone based on how they live, not what they believe. Matthew 25 makes
clear that God will judge people, not on their beliefs, but on how they treated poor,
marginalized people.

While I am no longer a Christian, I was a follower of Jesus for 50 years. I pastored Evangelical
churches in three states for twenty-five years. If there’s one thing I learned, it is that how we
treat other people matters to God; and, more importantly, how we love, care, and minister to
the least of these reveals what matters to us.

With these things in mind, what do we make of the Trump administration’s treatment of
undocumented immigrants, legal immigrants, non-Christians, people of color, transgender
people, pregnant women, government employees, and poor people? Just today, Jesus-loving
Republicans voted to cut $1 trillion from Medicaid, with cuts to Social Security and Medicaid to
follow. Millions of Americans will lose medical insurance, child care, and food stamps.

It is impossible to square these draconian, immoral cuts with the teachings of Jesus. Local
Evangelicals send weekly letters to the editor preaching right doctrine and political affiliation. I
have yet to read one letter in the Crescent News from Evangelicals preaching the importance of
helping the least of these. I am grateful that a handful of local churches take seriously the
teachings of Christ, providing food, utilities, rent, car repairs, and clothing to the poor.

However, most churches are more concerned about political and theological fidelity than they
are about a beaten, half-dead man along a dirt road. What we need are more Good Samaritans
— Christian or not, Republican or Democrat — who love their neighbors as themselves.

Bruce Gerencser
Ney